MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte past midnight Sunday defended his allegations against Sen. Leila De Lima saying to derogate the senator was not his intention.
“You know the reason why I called for this conference is just to disabuse the minds of the many women criticizing me. I said I have to mention the connection between De Lima’s driver and her. Otherwise, I'd look stupid. Why would the inmates obey a driver on the mere approval of a driver?” Duterte said in a press conference at the Presidential Guest House inside the Department of Public Works and Highways Panacan Depot in Davao City.
“The furthest from my mind was to derogate your person. I have to mention your relationship because it was your driver who was in contact with the rest of the guys there inside prison,” Duterte said.
The president added that De Lima knew about the connection of her driver to the inmates of the New Bilibid Prison (NBP).
“Senator De Lima, it was your greed and your immorality that did you in. Hindi mo na matago iyan. I think it’s beyond your control already,” he added.
Duterte claimed De Lima’s driver, Ronnie Dayan, was the one in charge of allowing contrabands and other privileges inside the penitentiary and that the senator authorized the driver to do so.
The president said the conference was also to answer his female relatives who asked why he had to announce publicly the alleged relationship of De Lima with her driver. Duterte said he was only compelled to mention the relationship of the senator with her driver and termed it “immoral” because her driver has a wife and family and the “connection gave rise to the corruption of what was happening inside the national penitentiary.”
Duterte enumerated the special privileges granted to prisoners during De Lima’s term as Justice secretary which include the presence of guns inside, liquors, alcoholic drinks, women freely coming inside and out, cooking of shabu and partying, among others. He claimed the senator was present in one of the parties of a high-profile inmate he did not name.
“How would I now explain to the public that these things happen the partying, drugs and even cooking shabu went well and unhampered because of the driver himself. Would you think that a driver of a Department of Justice (DOJ) employee could have allowed all of these things all by himself?” the president asked.
“These illegal things which you saw on TV almost every day for about a month do you think that without De Lima giving him (driver) the authority to allow the inmates to do? All of these could have only happened if there was the go signal from the head of the department which is the secretary,” he stressed, adding that the driver was also “one of the bag men” collecting money from the prison.
'Jekyll and Hyde'
In his press conference, Duterte repeatedly mentioned how he was being targeted by De Lima in the past. He said he was the “favorite whipping boy of De lima” for the longest time since she was a chairman of the Commission on Appointments (CA).
“She was yakking, she hasn’t prove anything. When she became a Justice secretary, she was yakking, accusing me. She never also initiated any complaint any accusation anywhere she just simply loved talking in front of cameras and the microphones,” Duterte said.
“Now she’s conducting an investigation in the matter of judicial killings and then she had the goal again to mention my name,” he said.
The president also likened the senator to "Jekyll and Hyde" saying that her aura changes.
“De Lima whenever she faces the microphone and TV cameras, she changes the aura. Nag-iiba yung anyo. She becomes combative,” he said.
The president also claimed that there is a house in Pangasinan named after the sister of De Lima’s driver. He said De Lima visited the house often which was known by DOJ employees and by the CA.
“May I ask you the name of the house in Pangasinan [that] was named the title was named under the sister of your driver? Where did she get the money? Tell me,” Duterte said.
“Where did your driver get the money to build such a good house? Can you show me their income tax, what's their business and what is the work of your driver? He's the only one residing there all the time and you Senator De Lima went there so many times,” he added.
Duterte: Impeach me if I’m lying
Duterte said De Lima didn't speak the truth about her driver and their connection.
“She can remain the senator of the Republic of the Philippines but she should explain why she is not answering now her connect[ion], her relationship with the driver inside [the] penitentiary to allow all these prisoners opening gates for female[s] to come in,” he said.
On the other hand, De Lima on Saturday denied all the allegations and said she is ready to be shot in front of the president if Duterte finds real evidence of her alleged links to illegal drugs. Duterte then responded that he had already put his honor, life and presidency at stake first and even dared lawmakers to impeach him if found lying.
“I said impeach me if I’m wrong. Impeach me if I am lying,” he said.
Asked about De Lima’s statement that her driver was afraid of being used as a witness against her, Duterte said there is no reason to fear if there is nothing to hide and described the statement as “very loaded.” He claimed all the information he uses were given freely by another country “friendly” to the Philippines, citing the ATM transactions and the calls coming from NBP to overseas.
The word war between De Lima and Duterte was renewed after the president on Wednesday called De Lima “immoral” in his speech and alleged that the senator has involvement in illegal drugs.
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